Framed
by oliviatennant
Summary: Yelena Muñoz has been murdered and all the evidence points to Barba. Will the squad be able to find the truth?
1. Chapter 1

***Still working on the Tucker story as well- just couldn't get this one out of my head.***

 **Olivia's phone ringing pierces** the silence of her bedroom- drawing her abruptly from the deepest sleep she's had in weeks.

She sucks in a breath and rolls over to check the clock. 4:13 AM. Propping herself on one elbow- she squeezes her eyes shut, trying to wake her brain before answering, "Benson."

"Liv, we caught a case, need you to meet us at Barba's." Fin was seldom upbeat this early but this morning he sounds downright funereal.

She rubs her face with one hand, "What's going on? What do you need a warrant for?" _It's the only thing he'd call for at 4AM._

She can almost feel the tension through the phone as Fin draws in a breath. "Not a warrant Liv, we've gotta pick him up." Olivia presses her back to headboard- trying to register what he's just said as she turns to look at the man sleeping peacefully beside her. "Liv, Yelena Muñoz was found raped and murdered in her apartment late last night. Alex is saying Barba did it."

Fin waits for a minute- trying to let the information soak in. He knows she and Barba are close. This won't be easy for any of them. Finally, he asks again, "Meet us there?"

"He's not there." She nearly blurts out, once her brain catches up. "He's not there, he's- I'll bring him to the precinct." Her heart is hammering out of her chest.

Fin only responds with a quick, "OK." And she's infinitely grateful that he is a man of few words.

Olivia hangs up, tries to calm herself. Barba's breathing has changed- he's awake but hasn't moved. "You OK?" He reaches for her and she takes his hand- giving it a reassuring squeeze before she moves to turn on the bedside lamp.

Barba raises himself up on his elbows, concern etched all over his face. "What's the matter?"

She finally meets his eyes, apprehensive. _There is no doubt in her mind that he didn't do what he's accused of but how does she tell him that Yelena's dead? How does she tell him his former best friend of accusing him of doing it? And how does affect some semblance of protocol and still comfort him?_

"Sit up a sec?" He turns and sits semi-facing her. Once again, he takes her hand in his, bracing to comfort her about whatever's wrong. "Rafi, I'm going to tell you something and I need you to promise me that no matter what- you're not going to say a word after I do."

Now he's really worried, "Liv, what the hell is going on?"

"Not a word, Rafi! Fucking promise me!" He nods slowly- trying to imagine what could possibly have her so upset. "That was Fin. They found Yelena Muñoz dead in her apartment this morning."

The blood drains from his face- but it takes a moment for him to process what she's just told him. When he does- she watches his jaw clench as tears well up in his eyes. He grinds out- "I'm going to fucking kill him, I'm-"

"Shhhh!" Olivia pleads, dragging him into her embrace as his tears start to fall. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! You can't say anything to me."

She feels tears sting her eyes as he sobs into her shoulder. She rubs his back- trying to comfort him as she braces herself to deliver the rest of the horrible news. "Rafi, Alex is claiming it was you."

Liv feels him drag in a shuddered breath, "Liv, I swear-"

"Shut up!" She nearly yells, pushing her back from him and looking him in the eye. "I know. But we can't talk about it. I want you to call Rita Calhoun- have her meet us at the precinct."

He nods, tears still streaming down his face. _He can see in her eyes, she believes him. And he's grateful for it. Whatever's about to happen, he knows he won't survive it without her. Her pleas for silence on his part are her way of protecting the truth- uncorrupted statements on both their parts. If they talk about it now- when their questioned it'll appear rehearsed._

So he accepts her comforting hand on his back as he calls Calhoun. She watches as he shuffles into the bathroom to get dressed. Hears him heaving the contents of his stomach into the toilet before the sink turns on.

 _She silently thanks whatever deity may exist that Noah is at Barba's mother's. They'd gone from being friends to something more intimate a little over a month ago but their "dates" usually consisted of case files and bedtime stories. Last night, Barba's mother had agreed to keep Noah so they could go on their first real date. He'd gone to a lot of trouble- reservations, dancing. He'd made her feel wanted, loved, like a woman. And when they'd gotten home- they finally had the chance to take their time without the worry of waking the baby. Olivia couldn't imagine a more perfect night- and now this._

He shuffles back out- still white as a sheet. His eyes are puffy but there are no more tears. Shock has set in.

Having pulled on some clothes herself, Liv escorts him to the car and they drive to the precinct in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

***Sorry this took so long y'all- been swamped with work. Hoping to update more in the coming week.***

 **When Olivia and Barba** walk into the squad room- they find Fin, Amanda, Carisi, Rita and A.D.A O'Dwyer all waiting for them. Barba's grateful that at this early morning hour there are few others wandering around the precinct. A solemn tension seems to invade every space in the bullpen. All five of them seem unable to look away from the small cut and bruise just over Barba's left eye.

Even O'Dwyer is rather reserved. Perceptive enough, for once, to stand back and not kick Barba while he's down.

Barba seems lost in thought as Olivia approaches Fin. "Obviously, I'm officially recusing myself. This one's all yours."

Fin nods. Barba's voice comes out almost a whisper from behind Olivia as he looks up to meet Fin's eyes, "How?"

Carisi- never having interrogated someone he knows- feels compelled to show no favoritism. He steps up, "Why don't you tell us, Counselor?"

Fin puts a hand out to Carisi to stop him and keeps his eyes on Barba. _Barba may have come off as an asshole at first- but Fin had quickly grown to respect the Counselor. He was good at his job, never afraid to fight for their victims and he cared about Liv- that's really all Fin needed to know. Fin's years of experience tell him the stunned man in front of him didn't do this. Though he'd been surprised by suspects in the past._

He speaks softly to Barba but tries not to seem overly compassionate with O'Dwyer standing right there, "Stabbed. With a kitchen knife."

Barba's already pale face blanches. He leans a hip against Amanda's desk to steady himself. Fin turns back to Olivia. "I'll need to talk to you in one. Carisi and Amanda will take Barba in two."

Olivia nods before throwing a concerned look to Barba- silently ensuring he's OK. He gives her a shaky nod before she follows Fin into the interrogation room.

Rita steps up beside Barba- replacing Olivia as his 'guardian'. "I'll need to confer with my client."

Barba's voice is once again quiet but firm, "No."

Rita rolls her eyes and turns to him, "Barba, for once in your life-"

His voice comes out cold now, unfeeling. He meets her eyes but his are still glazed over with shock- somewhere far away. "My fingerprints are going to be on the knife, Rita." Rita can't seem to make her brain say something to stop him from talking. The four remaining occupants of the bullpen hold their breaths as he continues. "I don't talk to them, he gets away with this." He turns to Amanda. "Let's get this over with."

 **Inside interrogation one** , Olivia, still standing, is quick to explain Barba's alibi, confident that it will clear this up. "He's been with me since a little before 7:30, Fin. It wasn't him. Do you have anything on Alex yet?"

"Warner says Yelina was most likely killed in the afternoon. According to Alex, he didn't find her until late." Fin considers Olivia- she knows the question that's coming but he hates having to ask. "Do you know where he was between 2 and 7:30?"

Olivia slumps down in the chair across from Fin, averts her eyes, "He went over there- around 4:30. He called to tell me he'd meet me at home- that Yelina had asked him to come by. There was something she wanted to discuss."

 _The reality is setting in that getting Barba out of this isn't as cut and dry as she thought._

She hears O'Dwyer knock on the window- calling Fin out. She gives him a nod and he exits.

 **In two. Barba and Calhoun** take their seats across from Amanda and Carisi. Barba is quiet for a moment before finding his voice just enough to force out the question that's been hammering in his mind since Olivia told him. "Why was SVU called?" He drags his eyes to Amanda's- his voice trembles as he starts the next question, "Was she-?"

He can't finish it- can't say the word. And Amanda doesn't make him. She gives him a small, somber nod. Barba averts his eyes once more and draws in a shaky breath.

"She called me this morning. Yelina." He clarifies. "Said she wanted to talk to me about Alex. Since he'd gotten out of prison he'd started to get violent with her. She suspected he was doing the same with the kids and had recently gotten proof. She wanted recommendations on where she could get him help." Barba worries his bottom lip. His shock slowly replacing itself with a simmering, cynical anger. "I went over to convince her to press charges."

Carisi's tough cop façade has fallen away. He leans in, "Barba maybe you should consult with Ms. Calhoun."

Barba doesn't even acknowledge his objections- just talks right over him. "When I got there, she got angry. Said putting Alex in prison was my answer for everything. She was making dinner. As she was yelling at me, the knife slipped and sliced open her hand."

Rita puts a hand out, "Alright, that's enough."

Barba's simmering anger suddenly explodes into rage, "Everyone shut the fuck up!" He turns to Rita and fixes her with a cold glare. "If anyone is going to find the truth- it's the people in this squad." He gestures wildly to the two detectives. "The moment those prints come back- they'll be arresting me! I'm fucked! Let me do this!"

Rita stares back at him in disbelief. _He knows how this works- how can he be deluded into thinking that telling the truth will save him._ She sits back, resigned.

Barba turns back to Amanda and Carisi, "I took the knife from her. Set it aside and helped her clean the cut. We were standing at the sink when Alex got home."

Amanda looks at Barba skeptically, "Alex said he was at the apartment when you arrived. That you fought-" Amanda indicates Barba's bruised eye, "and then he left for a meeting."

Barba shakes his head, matter-of-fact, "He showed up a little after 5. We did fight. Yelina told him I'd come over unannounced. He lost it. He hit me. And I, um-" He looks off again, tears forming in his eyes. "I left." He looks across to the detectives. "I left her there." A sudden wave of nausea hits him, overwhelming guilt.

 **Fin walks back in to One** more stunned than before. He sits across from her, steeling himself to deliver the news that O'Dwyer's just shared.

He meets her eyes- he owes her that, "Liv, Barba's prints are all over the knife that killed Yelina."

Olivia simply stares across at him. Not realizing she's holding her breath until she lets it out in a quiet, aporetic huff.


	3. Chapter 3

***So sorry for the delay on this one guys- This one is short but I promise there will be more frequent updates in the coming weeks.***

 **In Interrogation One** Olivia is in shock.

 _She trusts Barba- as much as she's ever trusted anyone- maybe more. She knows he didn't do this- but proving it was getting harder by the second. No matter how much they disagreed about how to go about something- he'd always stood beside her. He was the only person in her life- aside from Fin- who hadn't abandoned her- no matter how tough things got. He'd risked his career multiple times to fight for her- and now it was time to return the favor._

She finally breaks from her stunned silence. "Get him out of there. He's not answering anymore questions." She starts to hurry towards the door. Fin stops her.

"Liv, at this point- if he didn't do it- the only chance we have to find out who did is him telling us what happened in that apartment."

"Alex did this Fin. He's setting Barba up!"

Fin tries to be as calming as possible. "And if that's true- we'll figure it out. Look, between you and me- I don't think he did it either. But you know we have to investigate like it's any other case. And right now we have enough to arrest him."

Olivia takes a step away- desperately trying to figure out how their life could unravel so quickly. He looks to Fin- pleading. "Can I see him?"

Fin nods. They both walk into Olivia's office from the interrogation room- just as a down-trodden Carisi is leading Barba out. They've at least had the decency not to cuff him. Fin signals to Carisi to give them a moment alone.

Barba and Olivia stand in silence in her office as Carisi and Fin exit. He seems incapable of looking her- realizing that she probably knows now about the knife.

He draws a deep breath- steeling himself, "'Livia- I know how this looks-" He finally meets her eyes- his own eyes pleading with her. "I swear to God I didn't do this" he nearly whispers.

She quickly closes the distance between them- pulling him into a hug. Relief floods over him- he nearly collapses into her. "I know you didn't. They're going to get him Rafi." They stand there for a moment- just holding each other. _He honestly can't believe she trusts him so completely- but he thanks God she does. He can't get through this without her. The realization that he's come to need her so much is terrifying._

Eventually, they pull away from each other- she takes him by the shoulder- looking him the eye, "We'll figure this out." He nods- unconvinced. "Rafi, I love you." Her words draw his eyes back to hers- silent tears still spilling down his cheeks. She leans into him- placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

There's a tap on the door and Fin pokes his head in. "Sorry, Liv. I gotta take him."

 **Arraignment did not go** well. O'Dwyer asked for, and was granted, remand thanks to the heinous nature of the crime.

As he was led out of the courtroom- Olivia saw something she rarely ever saw on Rafael Barba's face- Defeat.


	4. Chapter 4

**After arraignment Olivia** finds herself on Lucia's doorstep. Lucia opens the door- a bit startled by how disheveled the Lieutenant looks. She schools her features though- attributing it to what she assumes was a late night with her son. "Olivia, come in. Noah's just finishing lunch."

Olivia manages an uncomfortable, exhausted smile as she follows Lucia into her apartment. "Thank you so much for keeping him, Lucia."

"I see my son went in to work today. I'm hoping you can convince him-"

The pained look on Olivia's face stops her mid-sentence. "You don't know."

"Don't know?"

Tears that Olivia's been holding back all morning spring to her eyes. Noah- oblivious to what's going on- jumps up from where he is kneeling at the coffee table eating his lunch and runs over to his mom- wrapping his arms around her. Olivia stoops down to greet him- doing her best to reign in her emotions. "Hola, Mamí."

"Hi, Sweetie. Did you have fun with Abuelita?" Noah responds with an enthusiastic nod. "Can you go finish your lunch while we talk?"

Noah rushes back to the coffee table- distracted by his lunch and the television. Olivia stands but keeps her eyes on her son- tears finally making their way down her cheeks. Lucia places her hands on Olivia's shoulders- drawing her attention back. There's a slight panic in her voice, "Olivia, what don't I know. Is Rafael OK?"

Olivia shakes her head as the tears fall, trying to find her voice, "They've arrested him."

"They've what?!"

Olivia tries to keep her voice down- not wanting to draw attention from Noah. "Yelena Muñoz was found dead in her apartment last night. Alex told police Rafi killed her."

Lucia almost can't believe what she's hearing. Anger takes over. "I told Rafi to leave Alejandro alone. That no good would come of this."

Olivia chooses to ignore the comment- this wasn't the time. "There's so much evidence. All of it points right to him."

Lucia searches Olivia's eyes. _Is this woman doubting her son?_ Her anger fades to fear. If Olivia doesn't believe him- getting him out of this will be next to impossible. "I won't deny he inherited his father's temper- but murder? He couldn't-"

"I know there's no way he killed her Lucia. I just don't know how to prove it." That's when Lucia sees it, the conviction, the pain- the love in Olivia's eyes. She realizes just how much Olivia loves her son- how willing she is to stand by him and her heart breaks for both of them.

Lucia pulls Olivia in- hugging her close as they both cry softly. "I'm so sorry, Lucia."

After a moment, Lucia pulls away from her- meeting her eyes. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Just promise me you won't give up on him."

Olivia nods but her attention is quickly drawn to the tiny hand now clutching her pants leg. Noah looks up at the two of them- concerned. "Mamí, Abi, have an owie?"

Both women do their best to regain their composure. Olivia scoops Noah up onto her hip, wiping her tears. "We're OK, buddy."

"I kiss it?" he inquires, unconvinced.

They both can't help but smile at him. Lucia leans in- offering her cheek. "Si, necesito un beso." Noah leans in giving her a peck. "Ah, todos bien ahora!"

Noah smiles- happy to have helped. Both women share a sad smile- wondering what the next few days will bring.

 **Olivia spends the rest of the day** at home with Noah- checking in with Fin from time to time.

Bedtime is a disaster. Even before they started seriously dating Barba had become Noah's favorite person to read stories. Lately, Barba had become THE person to read him his bedtime story.

Olivia's attempt to explain that Raf had to go on a trip but will be back soon only manages to reduce Noah to tears. In the end- though Olivia tries to make it through a book- it is his crying that puts Noah to sleep.

 **By 9 pm, she finds herself** sitting in the living room, staring at the television but not really watching it. She's exhausted but her mind is still going a million miles an hour. The sound of her phone startles her. She answers.

"Benson."

She hears Rita let out a shakey breath on the other end. "They're taking Barba to Mercy, meet me there?"

Olivia feels the blood rush to her feet. "What? Rita what happened?"

"I don't have any details yet. I'm sure they'll fill us in when we get there."

"OK." Olivia hangs up. Completely overwhelmed, she goes through the motions. Calling Lucy. Getting dressed. Her only thought- _This can't be happening._


	5. Chapter 5

Hey fanfic readers-

Wanted to apologize for the delay in updates. My computer was recently destroyed on set- taking with it updates to my current stories as well as a couple one offs.

Just wanted to let you all know that I do plan on updating but since it'll be some time before I can afford a new computer- it'll be longer between updates. So please bare with me :)

Thanks!

Olive


	6. Chapter 6

***Hey all- scribbled this down in a half hour to get it out of my head so that I could write for work. So I apologize- I'm sure there's a plethora of typos. I'll try to get back and fix them in the next day or so***

 **Olivia rushes down the hall** of the hospital to see Rita stepping out of one of the rooms- a policeman stationed outside. Rita approaches her- laying a hand on her arm in an attempt to keep her calm.

"What happened?" Is all she manages to breathe out.

"Some men he prosecuted teamed up on him."

"They put an ADA in Gen Pop? Are they insane? Why did you-"

Rita throws her hand up to stop Olivia's onslaught, "He wasn't supposed to be. First thing tomorrow morning I'll be finding out why he was."

Liv draws in a shaky breath as she nods and looks down the hall towards his room.

Rita's voice draws her eyes back, "Liv, you need to be prepared. It's bad." Liv can only nod as she does her best to hold back tears. "I'm sorry."

Olivia nods again before stepping around the other woman and walking to the door of his hospital room. She stops in the doorway when she sees him. Bad had been an understatement. One side of his face is swollen to twice it's normal size- one eye completely shut, the other side of his face sports a few cuts as well- one bad enough for 7 stitches, his arm is in a sling- complements of one of the men stepping on, and breaking, his collarbone, and though she can't see it- based on his labored breathing- she assumes they'd also broken a rib or two. Olivia does her best to school her features but she can't seem to stop the tears that finally fall down her cheeks.

His eyes- which were previously on the ceiling- now drift down to meet hers, "That bad, huh?" He's attempting to lighten things up but there's no humor in his voice so it falls flat.

She makes her way over to him in record time- sliding her hand into his, "Rafi, I'm so sorry. How did this happen? Do you know who it was?"

He takes a deep breath- wincing in pain as he does- tears prick his eyes but he doesn't let them fall, "The two men from that Midtown rape in October and Donald Murphy. They jumped me in a hallway- I should've been paying more attention. I knew I wasn't supposed to be in Gen Pop but I knew it wouldn't get sorted out before tomorrow." He scoffs at himself- looking away from her. "Couldn't even watch my own back for 12 hours."

"This isn't on you." She gives his hand a quick squeeze- drawing his eyes back to hers. He looks skeptical. She draws in a breath- not wanting to ask her next question- but she feels she has to if she's going to help him through this. "Barba, did they-"

She doesn't even finish before he's shaking his head- averting his eyes- the tears now stream quietly down his face. "The guard got there just before he-" He can't finish the sentence. He thinks back to all the time he's coached survivors through their testimony- forcing them to share ever little detail- and now he can't even describe what wasn't done to him.

Olivia lets out a relieved breath as she gives his hand another comforting squeeze. She knows as well as anyone that the fear of what's about to happen can be just as traumatizing as the act itself but she thanks whatever God is up there that he was at least spared that.

After a moment, his voice cuts through the silence as he continues to stare up at the ceiling, "Olivia-" Before now she can't remember the last time he used her full name. It worries her. He only ever used it to try and distance himself. His eyes come back to hers. "O'Dwyer is offering a plea. If I take it- it guarantees that I do my time in solitary."

Olivia is overwhelmed with shock, "But you're not going to take it."

Barba's face tightens- he braces himself, "Liv, look at me. If they put me in Gen Pop- it's a death sentence. I won't last a year."

Olivia shakes her head in disbelief, "You can't take this! You didn't do it!"

Barba pulls his hand from hers, "How the fuck do you know?"

"Sorry?"

"How the fuck do you know I didn't do this? All the evidence points to me! How are you not at least considering the possibility that I did this?!"

His anger in his one good eye is burning into her- she manages to stay calm, "Because I know you."

His voice is cold, "You of all people should know- no one really knows anyone."

She knows he's hurting but his words sting. "I know you didn't do this- and we're going to prove it."

His jaw tightens in an attempt to keep anymore tears from falling. His anger still simmering at the surface, he grinds out, "You're an idiot if you really believe that." Knowing that these words will hurt her- he holds eye contact just long enough to drive home his point and then quickly averts his eyes once more.

She carefully slides her hand back into his, "Rafael, my son cried himself to sleep tonight because you weren't there to read his book." She watches as he closes his eyes- tears streaming down the side of his face- a quiet sob catches in his chest causing obvious pain. "You don't have to fight this for you, you don't even have to fight it for me but you sure as hell have to fight for him."

Slowly, he meets her gaze. His voice is quiet, hurt, "I did fight for him, Liv. I fought so that he'd never have to visit some man in prison who's pretending to be his dad. I intend to keep it that way. For his sake and for yours, just let me do this- so you can move on"

The look she returns is sad disappointment. There's no convincing him tonight- he's too hurt- too defeated for one day. She simply gives his hand another squeeze. "You should try to get some sleep."

She turns out the light- then plants a kiss on the less injured side of his face before plopping into a chair beside his bed. He keeps his eyes trained on the ceiling. "You should go home."

She leans back in the chair- settling in for a long night, "Stop trying to boss me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Barba and Olivia both sleep restlessly.** When he wakes up the next morning to find her still sleeping beside him- he feels guilty for the relief that washes over him. He doesn't want her here but he needs her here. Olivia is awakened when Rita eventually makes her entrance.

She sits up- trying to pull herself together. Instinctively, she reaches out for Barba's hand. He gives her's a squeeze and meets her eyes in a silent apology as Rita launches right in, "Alright you two. I've got it sorted with the prison- you won't be going back to Gen Pop. This afternoon they'll transfer you to the hospital wing." She takes a moment- her eyes drift to Olivia- unsure if he'd mentioned the plea."I'm seeing O'Dwyer this afternoon. Have you-"

"He's not taking the deal." Olivia interjects.

Rita takes a deep breath, "Olivia- Lieutenant, you've done this long enough to know- that the truth is rarely a winning strategy for the defense. We have nothing."

Olivia turns her attention to Barba, "Rafi, please. I know you think I'm crazy but just give Fin a week. That's all I ask. Then you can fall on the grenade all you want."

Barba wants to believe it's possible but he's realistic. He sighs, "Liv-"

"Barba, you do this- and there's no way he pays for what he did to her." He meets her eyes with his one good one- she always knew how to get to him- now is no different.

Rita lets out an annoyed huff but she softens, "I can't guarantee O'Dwyer will give us a week. But I'll do what I can." With that, Rita makes her exit.

Olivia gives Barba's hand a squeeze, "Thank you."

"No, thank you- for not giving up."

Olivia kicks back over into take charge mode, "I need to update your mom. I didn't last night be-"

Barba's hand on her arm stops her, "Do me a favor and wait- until I'm transferred back to Rikers?" Off Olivia's confused look he elaborates, "I'd rather her not see-"

She responds with an understanding nod.

Barba's gaze shifts to the clock on the wall, "Noah's awake. You should go home- be with him. The next few weeks are going to be weird enough."

"I should stay until you're transferred."

"Please don't" he pleads.

She gives him a sad nod and stands. She wants to stay with him- but she understands his need to feel in control of something- no matter how small. She leans in to give him a soft kiss, "I love you."

He bites his lip to hold back his emotion. Right about now, he wishes she didn't. He manages to choke out a quiet, "You too."

She runs her hand down his arm as she makes her way out. The moment she's out the door- an overwhelming sense of rage washes over him. He slams his head back into the pillow and bites his lip until he can taste blood. How the hell did he get here?

 **Liv decides to stop off** at the precinct before heading home. Fin intercepts her the moment she walks through the door. "You can't be here. O'Dwyer will be here any minute."

She walks toward her office, "So tell him I came to get something from my desk."

Fin follows her into her office- leaving the door open for appearances, "How is he?"

"He'll be fine" is her curt response. "So what do you have."

Fin's eyes drift away from her's momentarily, "Nothin'. CSUs going through the apartment. I have Carisi and Amanda combing the area for security tape that might conflict with Munoz's timeline but nothing yet."

Liv lets out a heavy sigh, "O'Dwyer is offering Barba a deal. And after last night, he's hellbent on taking it. I've convinced him to give us week."

Fin nods. He doesn't want to tell her that, with the evidence piling up against him, maybe he should take it. Suddenly, an idea comes to him, "Liv, Barba said Yelena had proof that Alex was hurting their daughters?" Liv nods. "What proof? Does he know?"

Liv shakes her head. "He and I didn't talk about it- after you called. I don't know."

"If it exists, it would be motive for Alex. You need to find out."

A small spark of hope ignites between the two detectives. Overcoming the evidence against Barba is still, seemingly, impossible- but they both leave Liv's office with renewed determination.


	8. Chapter 8

**The moment Liv leaves the squad room** Fin phones Rollins. She's quick to pick up, "Fin, we may have something. CCTV from the bodega across the street shows Alex entering his apartment building around the time Barba said he did. Barba exits a few minutes later- and from what we can tell Alex doesn't leave before him".

Fin breathes a sigh of relief- they would need more than that to overcome the forensics but it at least set his mind at ease. He'd been right- Barba wasn't capable of this. "Good. Send those tapes this way. Then I need you two to head out to Rikers. If Yelena had proof of Alex's abuse we need to find it. I need you to find out if Barba knows what it was."

Rollins agrees to drive out there and Fin clicks off. He spins to find that O'Dwyer has been eavesdropping on the conversation, "Working for the defense now, Detective?"

"Just trying to find out what happened in that apartment, Counsilor."

As he settles in to brief O'Dwyer- it briefly crosses his mind that he never thought he'd wish for Barba back- but he certainly does now.

 **Carisi and Rollins look on** slightly shocked, as Barba shuffles up to the visitation window at Rikers. His arm in a sling- his face still badly swollen- he does not look happy to see them. Carisi can't help the whispered, "Jesus!" That escapes his lips.

Barba sits and, reluctantly, picks up the phone. Rollins is the first to speak, her tone soft, concerned, "How you doin'?"

"I've been better" he locks eyes with her, dejected. She looks to Carisi, who is looking anywhere but at Barba. Barba is getting annoyed. "I'm assuming you didn't just come to see for yourself? You have a grander purpose, I hope?"

Amanda looks back to him, finally getting down to business, "You said Yelena had proof that Alex was being violent with the girls? Any idea what it was? Where it was?"

Barba shakes his head, "She didn't say." He thinks back to that conversation- racking his brain. "She did say she 'recorded' evidence. So it must be a tape, a video? Did you search the apartment?"

Carisi finally finds his voice, "CSU is combing through everything now- but so far nothing stood out. Can you think of anyone else who might know where it would be?"

Frustrated, Barba shakes his head again. Rollins jumps in, "We could try questioning the girls."

"No" Barba immediately interjects, "Those girls just lost their mother."

"And if we don't figure this out, they'll be living with the man that killed her." Rollins looks at him pointedly.

"Try to find whatever she recorded first. Please." Rollins nods- both she and Carisi move to hang up but Barba's voice draws them back, "Detectives? Thanks." They both return a sad nod before the three of them hang up their phones.

 **Olivia arrives back at the precinct** late in the evening- after Noah has gone to bed and she's sure O'Dwyer has gone home. Unlike Barba, he wasn't one to hang around after hours to find the missing pieces. She comes under the guise of bringing takeout. Fin shoots her a disapproving look but doesn't throw her out. If not for the current situation, he would find it funny that by-the-book Barba ended up with a woman who will so quickly throw out the rule book in search of the truth. But then again, that's what made them a good team. She at least tried to follow the rules for him and she was the only person on the planet that he'd actually bend rules for.

The team is looking over photos of the crime scene- taking in every detail to make sure nothing's been missed. Amanda informs Liv that Barba thinks Yelena's evidence is either an audio or video recording. As the team passes around the takeout- Liv glances over the photos of the living room where the crime took place.

Finally, something catches her eye. She looks to Carisi- who's closest and points at the photo, "What's this? Did CSU bag this?"

Carisi looks perplexed. "It's a teddy bear, Lieutenant."

A grin comes to Liv's face, "On a shelf? In an otherwise prestine apartment?"

Rollins and Fin make their way over to look. As soon as Rollins spots what Liv's referring to she gasps, "Holy shit!" Fin and Carisi are still confused. "It's a nanny cam."


	9. Chapter 9

***Apologies everyone- I'm a terrible human being for leaving people hanging. Between personal stuff and the world catching fire- I haven't had much time. But as always this is my refuge when I need to step away. Here's an update- with more to come soon. Working on some new stuff as well.***

 **By the time the detectives** have retrieved the bear from evidence it's nearly midnight. O'Dwyer waltzes in soon after more than a little annoyed. Olivia standing in the bullpen does nothing to improve his mood.

He looks pointedly at Fin, "She can't be here." Fin just stares back so O'Dwyer turns his attention to Olivia. "Defense will call any evidence you help find into question. Are you purposely-"

Liv hold up a hand, "I'd like to see them question this." She gestures to Carisi, who presses play on the video they've recovered from the Bear.

The view is of the living room but even the partially obscured view into the kitchen tells the story. Barba stands close to Yelina- helping her- presumably with the cut on her hand. When Alex enters the room- Barba rounds the corner into the living room with Yelina trailing behind him. A shouting match ensues which ends in Alex decking Barba. Barba recovers quickly and it looks as if the fight might escalate but Barba thinks better of it. He rocks back and forth for a moment as if making a decision- collects his coat and makes his way out.

Within seconds of Barba's exit- Alex rounds on Yelina. The following moments are excruciating as the detectives watch what the evidence had already told them play out before them.

As Yelina begins to bleed out on the living room floor, O'Dwyer has finally had enough. "OK I got it!" He drops his head and takes a deep breath before looking to Fin. "Go drag his ass out of bed." As the detectives spring into action- O'Dwyer turns warily to Olivia. "Lieutenant, I'm sorry."

Olivia forces a smile. "You were just doing your job" she considers him a moment before adding, "But in the future, don't try and stop my detectives from doing theirs."

O'Dwyer finally meets her eyes, returning a respectful nod.

 **It's late morning before Olivia has** Barba safe in her car just outside Riker's. In jeans and an oversized sweatshirt- his arm in a sling and his face black and blue- he still looks defeated sitting in the passenger seat beside her.

She makes an attempt at a cheery demeanor. "Your mother has been cooking Lechon all morning and Noah already has a stack of books he's determined to 'read to you to help you feel better'". She gives Barba a warm smile as she puts the car into drive.

He returns a forced smile but looks out towards the gates. "I- Liv, maybe I should go to my place for a couple days."

 _Liv feels the air go out of her lungs. She knows as well as anyone that traumatic experiences have a tendency to show a relationship's strengths and weaknesses- people tend to grow closer or unravel shortly after- but it catches her off guard that it may be the case here. She knows pushing him will only make it more likely that he'll pull away from her though._

She does her best to reign in the flurry of emotion that his words cause. "Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't think. You probably want to be home."

Barba watches the uncertainty wash over her and immediately recognizes his mistake. Anyone else would have missed it- but he knows her too well. He reaches out for her free hand with his good one, "Liv." She glances over to him just long enough to prove she's listening. "My apartment isn't my home. You and Noah are." They come to a stop and her eyes meet his once more. "I just- I don't wanna risk scaring him- looking like this."

Olivia's eyes nearly glow with her love for him before tears come to them. She squeezes his hand and leans in. "Rafi, Noah wouldn't care if you came home with two heads at this point. He just wants you home."

Barba's more than a little embarrassed to find tears in his own eyes. He's still skeptical but he decides to trust her- after all she's the only person on earth he actually does trust- especially after all this. He squeezes her hand in return and croaks out "'OK".

A honk from behind them informs them that the light has turned green. He smirks and leans into her, "Let's go home."


End file.
